Teacher wants commission for persons with disability

As
the public consultation of Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) reaches its
climax, inhabitants of Busumbala village and the surrounding communities have
expressed their opinions as to what they want to be included in the new
constitution.

Abbie
Jammeh, a teacher of GADHOH Basic and Nursery School, in Brikama said that the
new constitution should establish a commission that will take care of matters
of people with disability. “Such commission should be responsible for the day
to day activities of the disability people with a view to look into some of the
issues affecting them in the country,” she said

Sign
language, she added, should be officially recognised as one of the local
languages in the country and that there should be free education for persons
with disability; starting from primary school to the university level. She said
that this would encourage them to go to school.

“There
should be a sign language interpreter at the National Assembly and also, it
should be compulsory for all TV stations in The Gambia to employee sign
language interpreters,” she stated.

She
argued that it’s government’s business to ensure that persons with disability
are employed.

Abbie
Jammeh, opined that there should be a body responsible for the appointment of
the speaker of the National Assembly. She pointed out that the president should
not be given the right to appoint the speaker as it’s the case. “The president
should not do something without the approval of the lawmakers and that the
grade 12 requirement for presidency should be maintained.”

“Election
for alkalolu should not be included in the new constitution. It will create
disunity within our communities. However, district chiefs should be voted
because they are governing lot of people,” One Yankuba Drammeh said.

Bami
Ceesay and Momodou Sellu Mbaye both dwelled on the significance of the public
consultation. Commission for health, agriculture and teachers, they said,
should be established.

Brufut
Meeting

At
Brufut, residents also expressed their opinions regarding what they aspired to
be included in the new constitution.

One
Sedou Mutarr Bojang, opined that the 15 years requirement for naturalisation is
too much. He said it should be reduced to 12 years. Bojang also argued that the
death penalty should be maintained.

Lamin
Nano Manneh suggested that the teachings of constitution should be embedded in
the education curriculum.

Death
penalty, he argued, should be removed. “There should be two term limits for the
chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission and his commissioners.”